Social media is awesome, I’ll be the first to admit that I love sharing my experiences online and keeping up with others who do the same. But sometimes, especially in this generation, we tend to get too caught up in our social media accounts and neglect to truly experience the world around us. It recently hit me that I have spent the majority of my teenage years on my cellphone – specifically, on social media. As I look back, I really do regret the countless hours I’ve spent scrolling down my TL’s and diving too far into the lives of people I barely know.
I’ve always known, but now truly recognize that there is so much more to life than social media. There are too many important people in my life and too many beautiful things to see in the world to concern a large chunk of my time with social media like I used to. This doesn’t mean I’m going to delete my accounts (I’m not crazy!), but I’ve made a vow to myself to get out and live my life to the fullest. If I get cool photos along the way – then heck yes I’ll post them and I’ll still support my friend’s posts. But, you will no longer find me concerning myself with the amount of likes I get per post.
Likes do not define you. The number of follower’s you have doesn’t make you better than someone who has less, nor less significant than someone who has more. Our generation has allowed social media to dictate the way we feel about ourselves, and it’s time to take back control. The type of person you are in ‘real life’ is what truly matters. Social media pages are a highlight real of the picture-perfect life you would like to portray. It’s who you are when no one’s watching that really defines your character. If you’re a mean-spirited person, the appearance of your life on social media can’t change the way people see you. Your page could have the most fascinating aesthetic, but how much does that really matter if your demeanor in person contradicts this façade? Making your life seem picture-perfect is honestly unfair to yourself. Being genuine is far more reputable than pretending to be something you aren’t or rather a glorified version of the authentic you.
Just be yourself! Online or in person, the best thing you can be is YOU. If who you are is someone who enjoys creating a unique page, then all power to ya! I’m certainly not judging anyone who puts time into their social media, but I just want to reinforce that there is much more to life than an online presence. It’s all about balance; I’m still finding mine.
Life without a doubt takes precedence over likes, in my eyes at least. I find more fulfillment in real life experiences (spending time with loved ones, volunteering, exercising, painting, hiking, etc.) than I ever have due to breaking a record number of likes on a photo. We as human beings naturally appreciate attention in any form, so it feels good to be highly “liked.” But, seeing the total amount of likes on a photo is a temporary moment of satisfaction and such an impersonal form of admiration. These likes are not a true reflection of how well liked you are in the real world. Someone who gets 60 likes could have a far better reputation than someone who averages 600 likes per post. Like I said before, likes don’t define who you are or your relevance.
I’m not saying social media is terrible by any means, it’s just not as significant as it tends to be made out to be. If approached the right way, social media is a wonderful outlet for socializing and expression. But, you can’t let it consume your life. Posting your daily endeavors, opinions, and achievements is awesome, but don’t center your life around the image you’ve created for yourself online. Because then – who are you really? Yourself or what society wants you to be?
Keep that in mind.
HCXO,
Ash